The study on improving the skills of possession of weapons due to the game of shooters was withdrawn

Various speculations have been around for a long time about the potential benefit or harm of computer games. Shooters, games with one of the highest levels of realistic violence, are the most criticized by “experts” and various activists.

In 2012, the journal Communications Research published a study by Brad Bushman and Jody Whitaker from Ohio State University, stating that there was a relationship between playing first-person shooters, focused on hitting the head, and the subsequent learning ability of players to own real firearms . The scientific nature of the research and its correctness caused many doubts and, finally, the work was withdrawn due to irregularities in data processing, the editorial staff reports .

Boom! Headshot!

Head-oriented shooters are one of the most complex varieties of this category of games. Almost all projects of this kind are popular due to the possibility of playing over the network, and some of them are also e-sports disciplines.
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A study called “Boom! Headshot !? ” , by analogy with the popular gaming phrase , tried to identify the pattern between success in the game aime and the use of real weapons. Thus, the text of the study states that experienced aimers showed better learning outcomes and a greater percentage of head hit on a target from a real pistol than people who are not fond of shooters.

At the stage of publication in 2012, the study was suspected of manipulation and manipulation of facts. This, however, did not prevent him from being published two years later, in October 2014, in one of the issues of Communications Research.

How the study was conducted

The authors of the work approached the issue of collecting information in their own way. To participate in the study, 151 participants were selected, which were further divided into three groups.

The first group played a game in which, using a standard controller or a gun-shaped controller, it was necessary to get into the head by humanoid creatures to get points. The second group shot at the "apples", also when using the controller-pistols. These games were classified as violent. The third was playing a non-violent game with a controller.

After the game, study participants received combat pistols and they were asked to get into the mannequin's head. According to the results of the collected data, experimental subjects from the first group, who shot humanoids during the game, showed 99% more headshots and made 33% more attempts than other participants in the experiment.

The purpose of the study was to show the impact of violent computer games on users.

“Thus, the game of violent realistic video games can improve the accuracy of shooting and affect the players in their desire to get into their heads,” the study summary says.

According to the researchers, the data remained unchanged even after the adoption of the amendment to the experience of owning weapons, gaming experience, the level of aggressiveness and other factors.

Total

The authors of the study once again attempted to link the gaming industry with real violence. An important role in revising the correctness of the mentioned work was played by the change of the editor of the journal Communications Research, whom Bushman accuses of being biased towards his position and personally towards him. Unfortunately, this work had the status of a full-fledged and correct scientific publication for almost five years.